German Mill Day took place nationwide on Whit Monday, July 9, 2025. Organized by the German Society for Mill Science and Mill Preservation (DGM), numerous mills across Germany opened their doors to provide interested visitors with insights into the diverse world of mill technology. The focus traditionally lies on historic windmills and watermills, but modern forms of energy generation are also incorporated into this day of action – at the German Wind Power Museum, which participated with its own open day.

The German Wind Power Museum is part of the German Mill Road in North Rhine-Westphalia, a cultural tourist trail that connects special mill sites in the state. However, the museum differs significantly from the traditional stops on this route: The focus here is not on historical milling operations, but on the history, technology, and future of wind energy use. The museum thus forms an important bridge between the cultural heritage of mills and the challenges of the modern energy transition.

Around 70 guests made their way to the Wind Power Museum on Mill Day – many of them by bicycle, some with their families, others as day-trippers with a technical interest. They were offered a diverse program on the use of wind energy in the 20th and 21st centuries. The focus was on several guided tours, during which visitors learned more about the development of wind turbines: from the early, handcrafted small wind turbines to prototypes from the 1980s and 1990s to modern large-scale turbines and their control systems.

The tours were led by expert staff who not only explained the technical workings but also illuminated the social and political context of wind energy use. Many guests were surprised at how early work on wind energy utilization began in Germany – and how much pioneering spirit lies behind some of today’s almost forgotten turbines. Particularly vivid were the original machine parts, rotor blades, and models that the museum presents in the outdoor area.

The program was accompanied by a small but well-received culinary offering of coffee, cake, and savory snacks. The informal atmosphere encouraged guests to linger and exchange ideas. Numerous visitors took the opportunity to ask questions or learn about current developments in wind power technology.

The German Wind Power Museum draws a very positive conclusion from the Mill Day. The visitors were consistently interested, open-minded, and engaged. Many of them expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to experience modern technology up close and, at the same time, learn about the background and challenges of the energy transition. Mill Day 2025 thus clearly demonstrated that mill knowledge today can be more than nostalgia: It can – in the best sense – be education for the future.

The open day was a complete success for the museum. It underscores the museum’s importance as a place of learning, a forum for dialogue, and an interface between the history of technology and current climate policy. Next year, the museum will once again be part of the German Mill Day – with fresh ideas, new exhibits, and a clear goal: to make wind power visible as a cultural heritage and future technology.